Property revaluations set, but owners can still appeal

ZANESVILLE - After some edits, final property revaluations across Muskingum County have been submitted and approved by the Ohio Department of Taxation.

All of the over 65,000 parcels in the county had new valuations released in October, with property values jumping 16.2 percent collectively.

The new values are based on sales of neighboring properties and the value of similar properties in the county. With the median listing price for a house up over 20 percent since 2015, the last time appraisals were conducted, according to data from Zillow, valuations needed to be adjusted accordingly, said Debra Nye, the county auditor.

The higher values, the first major jump since 2006, originally angered many throughout the county. As a result, the auditor's office held informal hearings shortly after releasing the revaluations, allowing owners to argue against their new home value.

Over 1,000 homeowners across the county participated in the hearings, Nye said, though she does not know how many homes revaluations where changed as a result. Appraisal Research Company, the contractor involved in the appraisal process, had access to the auditor's website and records to make changes during the hearings, she said.

Any edits made by ARC or the auditor's office staff should be reflected on a property listing on the auditor's website.

Following the hearings, the auditor's office submitted the final revaluations to the Department of Taxation, which approved the new values. The department had previously rejected the auditor's first two revaluations with lower increases.

Those still wishing to argue their new property value can do so starting now through April 1 by submitting an appeal to the Board of Revision. Documents to file a claim are available on the auditor's website.

Since the window opened on Jan. 1, 17 property owners have submitted appeals.

During the process, three staff appraisers from the auditor's office will visit the property in question and meet with the property owner regarding their complaints. Internal damage or other items that were not accounted for in the initial appraisal, done mostly based on external appearance and amenities information provided by the homeowner in response to mailers from the auditor's office, may be taken into account during the new appraisal.

The Board of Revision, comprised of Nye, County Treasurer Christina Hamill and one of the three Muskingum County commissioners, will meet either every two weeks or monthly, depending on the number of appeals, to evaluate the information and rule on the appeal. Commissioners will decide at their meeting next week who will serve on the board.